Banff, Alberta Feb. 16, 2026

Banff, Alberta

Banff in Alberta didn"t grow quietly. It arrived with railways, hot springs and a vision: to protect places of rare beauty. In 1883, railway workers stumbled upon warm mineral water bubbling from Sulphur Mountain—an unlikely surprise in the cold sweep of the Rockies. The discovery drew attention quickly. By 1885, the surrounding land has been set aside as a protected reserve. What did that lead to? The beginnings of Banff National Park, Canada"s first, and a blueprint the country would return to again and again.

© Herbert Rong/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Why is this cliffside ablaze?
Feb. 16, 2024Great Backyard Bird Count
Feb. 16, 2025Happy World Whale Day!

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr. 18, 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites
Jan. 20, 2024Macaroni penguins, Drake Passage, Chile
Celebrating women
Dec. 9, 2025National Llama Day
Jun. 22, 2024World Rainforest Day
Jan. 7, 2026Old Rock Day
Let there be lights!
Oct. 13, 2023Jasper Dark Sky Festival
One rare streak
Jun. 14, 2025Cinque Torri, Dolomites, Italy
Jan. 4, 2026Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska, United States
Mar. 29, 2026Peggys Point Lighthouse, Atlantic Coast, Nova Scotia
Dec. 25, 2024Merry Christmas!
A peck between penguins
Nov. 9, 2023Birch trees, Drammen, Norway
Go fly a kite!
Mar. 7, 2026The Brocken, Harz National Park, Germany
Apr. 19, 2026Mirror Beach, Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil
Feb. 8, 2024Mount Hood, Oregon
From victory to festivity
A glowing square of squares
May 29, 2025Miravet, Catalonia, Spain
Sep. 24, 2023World Rivers Day
Today, a nation was born
Pick your paradise
Aug. 7, 2024St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, Michigan, USA
A triumphant pose
The Riviera of India
Sep. 16, 2025Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast
Jan. 10, 2024Mylopotamos, Thessaly, Greece